Death's Destruction
by EmpatheticIgnorance
Summary: "The gentle patter interrupting the seemingly unnatural atmosphere was deafening in the amplification the silence brought. Like death's messenger the eerie hush foreshadowed death and destruction." No pairings. Discontinued; the rewrite is in progress.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The steady rhythm of a continuous flow was the only noise to accompany the sinister silence that succeeded devastation in its truest form. The gentle patter interrupting the seemingly unnatural atmosphere was deafening in the amplification the silence brought. Like death's messenger the eerie hush foreshadowed death and destruction.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Rivulets of red dripped down the arm of a crumpled figure. Skimming the surface of the material of the sleeve, the drips coalesced to form a steady river streaming down, down past the exposed hand and the broken nails and down towards the devastated ground to join the ever increasing puddle of blood. Saturated in the blood of fallen warriors and decorated with their remains, the earth, once a proud and healthy mother, withered under their annihilation and the desecration of sacred grounds. An ambient life-force was she, the Mother weeped for her fallen children.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _Drip..._


	2. Chapter 1 - Introduction

**Chapter 1**

 _1 hour previously_

Screams and shouted spells littered the air. Wands waved, creatures roared and the Mother weeped. Maniacal laughter accompanied by pitiful whimpers and horrified wailing rent through the air as the Dark's battle against the Light ultimately arrived in an almighty clash. Red lights and green lights. Hope and despair.

Curses uttered from snarling lips and demonic grins, they fell one by one. Spells uttered from terrified mouths and despairing lips, they weakened them one by one. Experienced warriors battling the inexperienced youth, the destruction continued. Dark versus Light, they all fought.

* * *

 _"Ah, Potter! Finally come to face your death?"_

 _"You always knew it would be you or me Tom, it's time to settle this once and for all."_

* * *

Cackles, shouts and screams.

The Mother watched as her children fought amongst themselves. Watched as a proud race, that her children had become, were annihilating themselves. Watched as they slaughtered their young and their brave in pursuit of their greed and power. And watched as they brought doom to their race.

Whimpers, cries and pleading.

The Mother weeped for her children. Pleaded with Death to save them. To not take them all. To save her young. To save the innocent.

Blood, pain and death.

Death shook his head in sadness and bowed his head as together they watched, but could not do anything, for the race of Magic.

* * *

 _"It's just you and me Tom. Let us end everything with our deaths."_

 _"Foolish boy. I am immortal."_

* * *

Deadly curses and stunning spells lit up the grounds where the Dark and Light's battle had staged itself. Figures weaving between unsuspecting victims, they struck. Disbelieving grunts and pained gasps the only indication of death. Sliding to the floor the victims fell. Fell into an everlasting sleep from which they would not wake, from which Death would welcome them with open arms.

Slaughter. Kill. Murder.

* * *

 _"I know about the horcruxes Tom. I know what you did."_

* * *

Swords clashing, wands waving. Bringing themselves closer to the end, they fought. Bodies littering the floor, the area full of blood and pain. Beloved friends and family gone, yet still they fought. Fought to protect and fought to conquer. Both sides weakening as Death ran rampant and Magic grieved.

* * *

 _"I pity you for you shall never feel love. You will never know the power of love."_

 _"Love is nothing but a fool's desperation. A fool's quest."_

* * *

One by one, they fell. Spell by spell, curse by curse, they fell.

* * *

 _"Come, let us end this."_

* * *

Screams and wailing, they realised what they had done. Realised what they had brought upon them in their thirst for greed and power. The End was approaching. And he would take them all.

* * *

 _"Avada Kedavra."_

 _"Expelliarmus."_

* * *

The duelling figures the last of their kind fought to their end. Dark and Light and Light and Dark. Misery and painful suffering, greed and corruption.

Silence fell as both figures fell.

* * *

 _Now_

The steady rhythm of a continuous flow was the only noise to accompany the sinister silence that succeeded devastation in its truest form. The gentle patter interrupting the seemingly unnatural atmosphere was deafening in the amplification the silence brought. Like death's messenger the eerie hush foreshadowed death and destruction _._

Rivulets of red dripped down the arm of a crumpled figure. Skimming the surface of the material of the sleeve, the drips coalesced to form a steady river streaming down, down past the exposed hand and the broken nails and down towards the devastated ground to join the ever increasing puddle of blood. Saturated in the blood of fallen warriors and decorated with their remains, the earth, once a proud and healthy mother, withered under their annihilation and the desecration of sacred grounds. An ambient life-force was she, the Mother weeped for her fallen children.

Pained gasps and gurgling coughs interrupted Magic's despair. Startled she stopped and looked as the crumpled figure slowly opened emerald eyes and took great heaving breaths.

Exhilaration filled her being as her chosen defeated Death. Celebrating the survival of her precious child, she sang.


	3. Chapter 2 - 4 Years Later

**Chapter 2**

 _4 years later_

Whistling, the young man waltzed down the busy street. Hands in the pockets of his black jeans, he was the picture of content. Standing at a height of 6'1 with broad shoulders adorned by a black leather jacket on top of a green button up shirt, he was an imtimidating figure. Yet the combination of soft emerald eyes that held a hint of steel within their depths set against porcelain skin, seemingly marred, only, by the lightning bolt scar upon his brow, created an appearance of delicacy on closer inspection. With a half smile set upon his face he was utterly relaxed and utterly beautiful. However, if a trained eye inspected him they would find him coiled tightly like a snake about to attack. The man, they would find, had the stance of a soldier that had seen to much and expected to be attacked at any given time. Nevertheless, they did not notice or rather did not want to.

The man continued on his journey before turning into a small, dark alley on his left. With a twist of his leg and a sharp crack he was gone. Just in time for another man to come running around the corner and miss his departure.

"This is Agent Barton. I've lost the target."

"No sign of target on our end. Agent Barton return to base for further orders."

"Copy that."

The man, dressed from head-to-toe in black inconspicuous clothing lifted a hand to his head and sighed. Cursing under his breath he turned back onto the street and slowly trudged along muttering all the way.

* * *

Harry James Potter, or Hadrian as he liked to go by now, could feel that he was being watched. Had felt it ever since he had turned onto the street half-a mile back. The hairs on the back of his neck had risen as soon as he had entered the street and it was only his battle-hardened experience that prevented him from turning around. Relaxing his tense muscles, he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and started to whistle. Looking into the reflection of the shop window he passed he glanced out from the corner of his eye and noticed a man several feet behind him dressed in dark clothing. Seemingly a normal shopper, the man did not stand out. However, the soldier stance and the intense gaze gave the man away as Hadrian's instincts screamed at him that this man was his latest admirer.

Allowing himself a half-smile he silently mused. This was the 5th individual to be interested in him enough to follow him. A trained individual in both, what appears to be, stealth and combat, he gave Hadrian a dangerous vibe similar to a predator. Perhaps he should start his own investigation and see who's radar he had appeared upon this time, he contemplated.

Resolving himself to find out who this man worked for he turned into an alley and apparated to around the corner and hid in the darkness of a doorway. Casting a quick disillusionment charm upon his person he waited. Hearing hurried footsteps rush into the alley beside him, he held his breath.

"This is Agent Barton. I've lost the target."

"No sign of target on our end. Agent Barton return to base for further orders."

"Copy that."

Casting a quick, unnoticed tracker charm upon the newly dubbed Agent Barton, he grinned. It was time for his very own investigation. And with that thought he apparated back to his apartment several blocks from where he previously was standing.

* * *

Sitting at his kitchen table with his laptop, munching on a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich he had made, he started his attempt at hacking into his admirer's workplace. _Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division_ or SHIELD as they liked to be called was following him. Snorting, he successfully hacked into their mainframe and deleted all information regarding himself - not like they had anything on him other than his name, a picture and his birth details - and snooped through the rest of the classified files. Apparently he was the most dangerous on their list of targets, besides a Doctor Bruce Banner or the Hulk as they called him and Thor, God of Thunder. Reading the file on Banner reminded him of Remus, a dear friend, who was burdened with Lycanthropy after being bitten as a child by Greyback. Like Remus, Banner seemed to be a decent man who, through bouts of anger, would lose control and wreck havoc as his alternative personality, the Hulk. Feeling for the guy and thinking of Remus, Hadrian deleted the last couple known locations that Banner had been spotted in. Hopefully that will lead them astray, he mused.

Sipping at his tea, he leaned back in his chair. Turning off his laptop after ensuring that SHIELD would not know they were hacked, or well if they did know, where from and that it wasn't him - let him keep his mysteries - he scrubbed a hand down his face. He knew he was in trouble. He couldn't let SHIELD know about him, to find out about him. Even if the Statue of Secrecy no longer existed after the decimation of the entirety of magical beings and creatures - excluding him - he still wanted his anonymity. He would live the rest of his life in peace, however he wanted, after all the War had taken from him.

Shaking his head, he dispelled the thoughts about _that_. It was still too painful for him, too close for him to recall without suffering.

* * *

 _SHIELD Helicarrier_

"Director Fury, Agent Barton has arrived."

"Send him in, Agent Hill."

Gently opening the door, Barton marched into the room. Approaching the desk of his superior he folded his arms behind his back and looked at the far wall behind Fury. "Sir."

"Tell me what happened with the target today."

"I followed him from a distance like ordered, yet he somehow knew I was following him and led me into an alley where he disappeared from sight sir."

"I see... And there was no trace of the target at all?"

"None at all Sir."

"Alright, that's enough information. Agent, you are to observe him and follow him when he next appears and see who he is and what he is. I want everything on him, even the goddamn shampoo he uses. You are dismissed Agent."

"Sir."

Sighing in the now empty room, Director Fury rubbed at his temples. All this stress was giving him a headache, he mused. First there were Gods and aliens, with Banner and Blonsky levelling Harlem and millionaires creating mechanised suits, now there was a disappearing unknown man with mutant abilities that were not recorded in his file. He was either a mutant who had hidden his abilities - or had just come into his latent powers - or he was an unknown factor. And that was even worse. An unknown meta-human out on the loose could be dangerous. He needed to know more about this man, before he could pose a threat to the world's safety with his abilities. He _would_ find out the secrets this man was hiding and he _would_ put him down if he stepped a single toe out of line.


	4. Chapter 3 - Cat and Mouse

**I must admit I was quite surprised at the interest this story has generated. I just want to thank everyone for all the interest and support!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

And so the game of cat and mouse began.

Avoiding SHIELD's finest, Clint Barton, became a challenge that Hadrian welcomed with open arms. Baiting the agent was easy, truly the fun was in the chase he led him on. Always enticing him but always frustrating Barton with enigmatic disappearances and confounding mysteries, never quite revealing his cards but not quite keeping them close to his chest, the chase was exhilarating.

Hadrian knew he couldn't afford to let them gain knowledge on his person, he couldn't give up his skills but he couldn't deny that Clint Barton was good at his job. Barton's competence as an agent, undercover or not, was truly exciting to witness and for the first time in years he felt alive. With a few carefully placed 'clues' he would lead the man on a wild goose chase, watching the man run around like a headless chicken when the agent realised he had been fooled. Truly, Hadrian was enjoying himself. It had been, seemingly, an age since he had found an individual who could keep up with him and could, in turn, keep him on his toes.

With a twist on his heel and a muffled crack, the grinning face of the emerald-eyed wizard disappeared just as the agent came running through the doorway of the male's public restroom. 'Not again,' the weary agent sighed.

* * *

Agent Barton was an intelligent, highly skilled agent. The best of the best, it was rare for him to find a target that gave him this much trouble. Throughout his years as an agent of SHIELD, with the constant stream of monotonous assignments following predictable targets and apprehending them if necessary, he had never been as challenged physically and as mentally as he was now. Seemingly appearing from nowhere after a lengthy disappearance from the age of 11, popping up on the radar every so often for but a moment, up until he reached the age of 17 where he disappeared and his sudden appearance now, Harry James Potter or, as Clint had learned, 'Hadrian' as he preferred to go by was a truly mysterious case.

No criminal record to note, nothing in his file to raise any warning flags, there seemed to be nothing extraordinary about Hadrian except for his disappearing years from the age of 11 to 17 and 17 to 21. This normally wouldn't have been suspicious enough to raise the suspicions of his boss, after all many people had managed to disappear - just see Banner, for example - however not as effectively as Hadrian had managed. No credit card, no digital footprint, no bank statement, no education background after primary school, nothing; he was like a ghost throughout these years, never once being tracked and only being sighted every so often whenever he decided to show his face in society. His record too clean and his disappearances too successful it was only a matter of time that he came up on SHIELD's radar. After all, nobody can be so well-behaved yet so far isolated from society without something in their file that would explain this contradiction. This, partnered up with the target's mysterious talents, only cemented him as a possible threat - an individual of skill with a hidden abundance of power - in his mind and that of his superior, Director Fury.

This new ability to disappear from sight and his skill in avoiding Clint painted an even bigger target on the back of Hadrian. No target could evade a highly trained spy such as he unless they had undergone training and had the necessary experience to recognise the signs of a well-practised and fully trained stalker. Determined to discover this man's secrets, Clint continued his game of cat and mouse.

* * *

 _SHIELD Helicarrier_

"Bring up Potter's file."

"Sir, file cannot be found."

Slamming his hand down onto the console system in front of him the man growled and cursed. Wearing a black leather trench coat, black clothing and black heavy combat boots laced up to his shin, Nick Fury was an intimidating sight to behold. With anger twisting his normally stoic features and his black eye-patch covered glare, the intimidation rolled off of him in waves sending more than a few SHIELD recruits scampering off with their tails between their legs and the more experienced SHIELD agents wincing at the palpable sense of anger.

"And where, pray tell, is his file _Agent_?" Growling at the man, the poor agent, flustered, could only stutter and flutter around the controls trying to locate the file. Finding nothing in the mainframe, he could only shake his head and look at his superior, confounded.

"There is no sign of a file pertaining to the target, Sir. In fact it's like there never was one to begin with."

"Goddamnit! I want details. I want to know what happened to his file. Who did it, what did it. Anything and everything. Otherwise, heads will roll!"

And with that command the superspy stomped out of the room.

* * *

Fury was furious. They needed to find this Potter's file, find out who or what removed it and get this trainwreck under control. It was their job as SHIELD to protect the world and so far they were doing a disastrous job. With an unknown metahuman unregistered and out on the loose, coupled with their lack of progress in discovering this man's secrets they couldn't evaluate his threat level. And there was nothing worse than a powerful being not brought under control should they be a threat.

With Agent Barton, so far unsuccessful, in his surveillance and Potter's file now missing from the system it was time for Fury to pay Stark a visit. If SHIELD had been infiltrated Stark would have the answers - either he'd know who it was or it was him. And if it wasn't Stark then they were truly screwed, either this Hadrian had skills that set him even further apart from his file or, worse they had been infiltrated. If he found a mole in his Helicarrier heads would most assuredly roll and it would _not_ be his.

* * *

Hadrian sneezed and then sneezed again. Someone must be speaking about him, he mused. Yawning, he scratched the back of his head as he walked out of his apartment, locking the door as he went. Humming, he stuffed his hands into his trusty leather jacket and continued out onto the street. He had only been a couple of minutes into his stroll when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and a tingling sensation rippled down his back. Willing his body language to remain nonchalant, his mind started to go through scenarios in his head. This was not SHIELD, the malevolent gaze was different to the determined gaze of his usual stalker, Agent Barton and so he knew that whoever was following him was bad news.

Stretching out his senses he surveyed his surroundings, counting four men in different locations watching him - one on the roof across from him, two several feet behind him and one waiting around the corner he was about to turn onto. Deciding that should he turn the corner he would collide with the man and with the two men behind him steadily decreasing the gap between them and himself, Hadrian knew they were trying to lead him into a trap. A trap that he might not escape from and so he waited until he passed the last doorway before the corner and then, wandlessly cast a confundus charm on the man around the corning. Confused, the man could do nothing as Hadrian turned the corner and ran.

Hearing the thundering steps of the two men behind him, Hadrian picked up his speed. Weaving in and out, dodging pedestrians, he quickly allowed himself to get lost within the crowd. Turning onto an empty street, with a wave of his hands the CCTV cameras in the area powered down as with a crack he disapparated to safety.


	5. Chapter 4 - Hostile Encounters

**Chapter 4**

Tony Stark was a genius. And like all geniuses he enjoyed a challenge. Despite what he was portrayed as by the media and his acquaintances, he thrived to make the world a better place. Displaying, at times, empathy and consideration to those around him, he truly was a different man in comparison to his playboy exterior. The majority of the time though, however, he came across as quite brusque, arrogant even, with his philosophy of act first and think later; it was this spontaneous nature that often led to the misbelief that Stark did _not_ actually care and was instead a selfish individual. And so, it would be more accurate to say that he was a misunderstood genius.

So it came as little to no surprise for those who knew him that when Fury came knocking about a new 'threat' that needed to be controlled he had laughed his ass off and promptly showed the man the door. Well, had Jarvis show him. It was laughable, really, how Fury believed that Tony wouldn't have already hacked into SHIELD's mainframe and obtained such interesting information already. After all, he _had_ tasked Jarvis with keeping an eye on the organisation ever since SHIELD had first approached him. And so when the creation alerted his creator of new movement and with SHIELD's ever-increasing suspicious behaviour recently it was inevitable that the inventor's curiosity was piqued. Slipping through SHIELD's defenses had been easy, sneaking into their classified files even easier and retrieving the file of this new mysterious target 'Potter' had been slightly more trying but in the end he had managed to discover the pitifully scarce details Fury had obtained about the man. Incredulous as to what - or better yet, who - Fury had labelled extremely dangerous, Tony had vowed to never trust Fury with this possible metahuman. It was this lack of trust and incredulity at the situation that prompted Tony to let the file be deleted several days later by an unknown source after Jarvis had warned him of another presence in the database.

If Fury was willing to go after a civilian - for that was what he essentially was - that had never threatened anyone and who seemed to be a respectably well-behaved member of society then Tony would defend this man. After all, anyone who could rile the superspy up this much deserved his respect, not animosity. Oh yes, he would protect his new potential ally Harry James Potter against the wrath of Nick Fury. And with that thought he chucked back the rest of the whiskey in his tumbler and smirked.

* * *

Fury was livid. Approaching Stark had been a disastrous oversight on his part. Truly, he should've known that with the inventor's childish reputation the man would find amusement at the expense of the director's frustration and misfortune. Any chance to wind him up, Stark would take. Always pushing the boundaries, always causing conflict, Tony Stark was a difficult man to deal with on a good day; never mind a bad day. A selfish, spoiled playboy at heart, he found no other joy than knowing more and being more than his fellow peers; like a peacock, Stark would strut his stuff like no-one's business, flaunting his money and power over everyone. Despite the genius playboy's unsavoury personality, Stark and his technological advances were an invaluable asset to SHIELD for the times ahead - well, at least, in Fury's opinion - and could prove vital for the protection of Earth.

With Stark's unwillingness to assist SHIELD in this endeavour Fury would have to deal with this himself. He _would_ discover who tampered with the file. He _would_ uncover Potter's secrets. And he _would_ terminate the man if he so much as twitched the wrong way.

Putting a hand to his ear, the infuriated superspy grimly stated "Call in Agent Barton, Hill."

 **...**

 _SHIELD Helicarrier_

Agent Barton, for the second time since receiving his surveillance mission, trudged along the Helicarrier halls enroute to his mission after being called into his superior's office. In his initial destination of Fury's 'lair' he had dreaded what the man would want.

 _"24 hour surveillance on the target; I want a visual on him at all times. Any suspicious activity is to be reported and subsequently handled should the order be given. Failure on this mission will not be tolerated Agent."_

Who would've thought that Fury would demand that a civilian be watched so carefully, despite not doing anything untoward, that he'd have one of his best agents reduced to the title of babysitter? The man was a web of paranoia; dislaying a cold exterior of power and intimidation as a result of his experience of betrayal and his work as a spy, the man could no longer trust even his supposed allies. It was Fury's philosophy of act first, think later that often led to some misunderstandings but had saved the superspy's life on many an occasion. You couldn't afford to trust in this business, it always seemed to lead to pain and death the man had claimed.

With Fury's paranoid exterior it was no wonder that the man couldn't seem to leave this mysterious Hadrian alone. There were too many inconsistencies, too many puzzles revolving around this man to leave unknown. Clint knew that Fury would not settle until the target had been analysed and apprehended, if need be, eliminating any threat he may or may not pose. The man might be a paranoid bastard but he was still an alive one which, by Fury's age, was rare for a man in such a high position in this business. And so he would continue to follow the superspy. Like a good soldier he'd march on, watch the target and complete the mission ignoring the voice in the back of his head that whispered at him that Hadrian could not possibly be a threat.

* * *

After his close encounter with an unknown hostile group, Hadrian was being cautious. Despite no sign of another attack on the horizon, he knew he could not let his guard down. They would be expecting that and he would not allow them to make a move whilst he was defenseless.

However, on the bright side, it seemed his admirer was back. After being missing for half of the previous day, and so missing Hadrian's close hostile encounter, the agent had seemingly returned with more intensity. It seemed his would-be attackers had exploited the disappearance of the agent and had used it as an opportunity to approach him. For whatever reason was still unknown to him, however. He would need to do his research and find out what brought him onto another group's radar. He had thought he'd been careful but, clearly, he had underestimated the muggles' technological and power advances throughout the years he had been in the wizarding world.

After this realisation of the muggles' threat level Hadrian had decided, for the time being, to reduce his magical output meaning he would have to stop using so much magic around muggles. Minor, non-verbal spells would be his last resort in times of trouble. Any more and he might just give away his 'unnatural' talents.

 **...**

"Can I have a mint tea and a slice of the chocolate cake from the special menu to sit in please?" Smiling disarmingly at the cashier, she seemed to, almost, swoon. The young woman had never seen as handsome a man as she saw now; with those glowing emerald eyes, pearly white teeth and easy going aura, the man before her was truly the best sight she had ever lay her eyes on. His sexual appeal, only heightened by his smooth, exotic British accent, was too much for her and so she could not help but fluster under his attention. Stuttering the woman barely managed to ring up his order.

Hadrian collected his items, paid and waltzed over to the table in the far back. With the exit in sight and a broad view of the room, the position was strategically advantageous and one of which his stalker would probably take note of. Humming as he took a bite, he quietly pulled out his laptop from the bag over his shoulder. Logging in, aware of the eyes of the agent on his person, Hadrian opened the Internet and with a wave of his hand created an illusion of himself looking at the news, grateful for his time spent perfecting his ability to merge magic and technology. Aware that the move and the magical output would be risky, it was necessary for him to get this done without SHIELD being alerted to his movements. To everyone he would simply be another customer getting work done, however, he would use this time to start his research, running facial recognition on the men who had followed him. After obtaining the footage of the chase from the CCTV cameras on the street before he turned them off, he had managed to capture the face of only two of the men. With a sigh and a sip of tea, he got to work.

* * *

 **Next chapter should be a time skip of 1 year, well at least by the end. It's been a slow start so I thought I'd finally get the ball rolling. To me, the story has been boring recently. These chapters have just been getting the relationships and plot introduced so the next should start getting into the action hopefully. Sorry!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Loki of Asgard

**Chapter 5**

It would be a week of intense surveillance, uncovering nothing, when Fury would lose his patience giving Barton the order to apprehend the target with Romanoff's assistance, the director would ultimately seal his own fated misfortune. The agent, having observed the man for better off than 13 days and so had analysed Hadrian closely, had hesitated slightly at the command before steeling himself mentally and physically for the impending confrontation. Going into a mission with a heavy heart and a conflicted mind was a quick way to end up dead; he couldn't afford to be torn in his decisions otherwise he might jeopardise the mission.

And so, like the obedient agents they were, the two spies had intercepted the man on his daily outing on the evening of the 14th day of surveillance. They had herded him into an alley, hidden from sight and shrouded by the darkness that seemed to encase the silent night. The deafening silence, with the darkness that had seemingly bathed the night in a sinister embrace, had seemed to exhibit a hushed foreshadowing of the incoming, immoral deed.

Expecting an easy encounter, prepared, just in case, for the worst case scenario Romanoff and Barton had went in confident of completing the mission. This readiness had soon been obliterated by the emerald-eyed man when, instead of the nervousness and panic they expected they would see, the man had warmly welcomed them by name and agent level. Flustered, it took all of their training to remain behind their masks of impassiveness - a twitching of their fingers as they had involuntarily reached for their weapons, the only indication belying their surprise. However, nothing could've prepared them for this encounter.

It would be an hour later with no target that the two would return to a furious Fury where they were both left facing a rageful lecture. Emotionally compromised, Agent Barton would be assigned another mission leaving his newfound doubts about Fury and Hadrian behind and Agent Romanoff would return to her undercover work.

* * *

The Mother had watched with a disapproving frown as her child and her chosen warrior was dragged around by Fate and her irksome meddling. Her boy may have left this encounter unscathed but this confrontation would, forever, seal his fate.

* * *

Hadrian had so far been unsuccessful in his earlier attempts at investigating the hostile group he had encountered. Facial recognition had picked up the men and traced them back to two common, petty crime individuals, both of which had served a few months in prison. Nothing noteworthy to record, no gang activity and certainly no previous record of espionage, the men were nothing but minor criminals. With nothing to go by Hadrian had ultimately been left with no trails to follow and so had to, regretfully, stop with his investigation until new evidence could point him on the right track. Aware of his precarious situation with the elusive group tracking him and SHIELD on his tail, Hadrian had decided to lay low for a while and go off the grid. With his newfound decision he had approached SHIELD the night before.

 **...**

 _"Ah, Agent Barton. Agent Romanoff. Nice to finally meet you." He grinned at the agents, pleased with himself for being the cause of the slight tensing and twitching of the two spies in front of him. Putting his hands in his pockets and leaning back on his heels, Hadrian was the picture of relaxation._

 _Seemingly unfazed by his knowledge of their names, the redhead ordered the man to come peacefully with them. "Mr Potter, I'm going to have to ask you to come with us. Force will be used if necessary."_

 _"Hm, back to SHIELD I presume?" Seeing the surprise in their eyes, Hadrian nodded. "Yes, I know everything about SHIELD, otherwise known as Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, Agent Natasha Romanoff clearance level 6 and Agent Clint Barton clearance level 7." Laughing at their stunned expressions, he continued. "Nicholas Fury, director of SHIELD, clearance level 10 alpha level, omega level ordered the surveillance and possible apprehending of Harry James Potter - me - 13 days ago after sightings revealed the re-entry of an individual who had seemingly disappeared from society for long lengths of time. Correct?"_

 _"Mr Potter I don't know how you obtained such information but you need to come with us now. Resistance will be met with force." Stern faced, Agent Romanoff was a calm facade of impassiveness. Hand on her gun she was ready for when the man so much as breathed too quickly._

 _"And I suppose Fury forgot to mention what they do with possible power. What they do with enhanced individuals, hm? The attempts to recreate or subjugate the abilities? The surveillance and apprehending of a civilian who had a clean record and had until, now, lay below the radar - why, isn't that odd?"_

 _"It's not our job to question orders." Allowing a frown to appear on her face the agent addressed Hadrian. "We do not have that authority. Now, I must ask you to come with us."_

 _"I'll have to respectably decline that sincere offer."_

 _"Mr Pott-"_

 _"Alas, it is time for me to go. I only let you agents push me into here so we could have a chat before I left for good. I must offer one piece of advice to you two and your superior that should keep you safe - **leave me alone and don't bother looking for me**." Glowing emerald eyes regarded the pair coolly after the veiled threat._

 _Turning_ _on his heel and starting to walk away his arm was grabbed. Looking back to see that it was in fact Romanoff who had grabbed him he wordlessly sent a Confundo at the two agents. Disorientated, the agents could do nothing but watch as Hadrian started to saunter off._

" _Don't bother looking for me, you won't find me unless I want you to. Do pass that along to Nick Fury as well, he of all people should know this." With a wave over his shoulder and a muffled crack the dark haired man was gone._

 **...**

Remembering their stunned expressions had caused Hadrian to laugh a genuine laugh, the first one in years. It had been too long since he felt such amusement that SHIELD and it's agents seemed to provide him with recently.

Last night, after approaching the two agents, he had disapparated back to his apartment. With a flick of his wrist all of his belongings were packed into the chest that had been lying open beside his bed since that morning and all evidence of Hadrian living there had been erased. With a silent _reducio_ the chest had reduced in size until it was no bigger that a small charm that he managed to place around his neck after attaching a small metal chain to it. A disillusionment charm had hid his possessions from view. With a brief glance to the place he had called home for a couple months he had disappeared with a crack.

* * *

The continuous flow of a sinister silence was Hadrian's only companion as he apparated onto the scene. A hushed, unnatural atmosphere greeted the man as he, for the first time in 4 years, took in the sight of his beloved school, Hogwarts. Once a proud school, enshrouded in magic and joy, now was muted in comparison. Broken arches, crumbling walls and missing turrets, the castle was truly destroyed. The never-ending rain that had washed away the evidence of a battle over the years had seemed to forever cloud the the school grounds since the day of the End for magic's children, like a messenger of sorrow and death. The gentle pattering of the droplets cascading down the battleground and washing away the sins like a grieving Mother, the scene was truly heartbreaking. No sign of life, no sign of the Mother. The deafening silence amplifying the death and destruction that had occurred.

Sighing, Hadrian trudged past the destruction and kept on moving. Past the death. Past the pain. And past his one true heart's home. He kept on walking until he approached the forbidden forest, in which he had sacrificed his life for those he loved for their freedom and protection, and without a backwards glance disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

Pain.

...

Darkness.

...

Death and destruction.

...

Whispered promises and hushed lies. Hands grabbing. Grabbing him. Tearing him apart and crudely putting him back together again. Missing, something missing. Always something missing. Empty caresses, meaningless embraces. A hammer. Gold hair. Arrogant. Warrior. Brother. _Not your brother._ Cruel laughter, taunting words. Loving gaze, warmth. Forgiveness. Redemption. Mother. _Lies._ Conqueror. Wise. King. Allfather. Father. _Disappointment. Liar. Manipulator. L_ oved. _Hated._ Wanted. _Feared._

Lost. _And now found._ Manipulated and burdened. _Purpo_ se. Death and destruction. Pain and blood. Tears. _Whispered promises. Greatness. King. Joy._

Pain. Pain. Pain. Sorrow and regret. _Pitiful, pathetic._ Remorse for forgotten pain.

Mischief. Liar. Magic. Gold and green. _A bastard son._

Forgotten, forgetting; no purpose, no name. _The Other. Reason. Power. Greed. Subjugation. King._

Purpose. Pain. Redemption. **Revenge.**

 **...**

"I am Loki of Asgard and I am _burdened_ with glorious purpose."

* * *

 **Loki retrieves the tesseract 1 year after Harry disappears into the Forbidden Forest. His return into the Marvel Universe and his entrance into this story, indicated by the last line, will coincide with Harry's re-entry.**


	7. Chapter 6 - Saviour of Light

**Chapter 6**

Pitiful, pathetic creatures of self-imposed supremacy. Pretentious, arrogant, weak; the race of Man was, truly, a race of snivelling, cowering cowards. How his _brother_ could protect these beings, love them even, was beyond his knowledge. The race was killing itself; hunger and greed prevalent in the world, the need for a saviour crucial for their redemption.

Made to be ruled, to be subjugated, to be enslaved, humanity screamed at him to be controlled. And who was _he_ to deny them this - their very aura of feebleness enticing conquerors and disaster alike. Brutality, shamelessness, violence, greed, corruption. They were harbingers of their own their impending confrontation with Death. Oh, how he _wished_ he could watch as they brought about their own ruin. But, alas, he had promised to uphold his end of the bargain.

Foolish creatures. They truly believed that they were alone in the universe - that they were the most intelligent beings in all of creation. Oh, how wrong they were. He would show them, he would show them all, how very wrong they were. He _would_ show them and he _would_ bring order to the reckless balance that Midgard precariously sat upon. And he would start by crushing their leaders, subjugating their weakest and slaughtering their strong. Only then would they realise his might, his position of King, and bow to his supremacy. He had been born to rule, after all.

Oh, they would burn. Burn quick and burn deadly. He would crush humanity as his _brother_ watched and then, only after that, would he crush Asgard. Asgard would shake from his power - that foolish, old King would only be able to watch as all that he was was brought down in flames around him.

He was their salvation.

He was their doom.

He was their King.

"I am Loki of Asgard and I am _burdened_ with glorious purpose."

Oh yes, Midgard would be his.

* * *

Flames crackling, fire roaring, Fury stood and watched as his best agents disappeared into the night after being reduced to the mantle of playthings by a vengeful God. Shaking himself from his stupor, he spoke into his communication device. "Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that brief case."

"Roger that." Hill confirmed.

"Coulson, get back to base. This is a Level Seven emergency. As of right now, we are at war." Grimacing, Fury grimly stated the worst scenario SHIELD could've faced.

A beat of silence remained after the grim remark. An overwhelming silence that was soon interrupted by the subdued voice of Coulson. "What do we do, Sir?"

Crossing his arms and mentally calculating his choices, the superspy was an imposing sight to behold; a dark figure enshrouded in shadows, arms crossed and a severe frown disrupting his usual stoic mask, the man was a picture of pure intimidation. Looking up, the man's face cleared as realisation came to him, bringing hope to Fury for the first time in years.

"The Avengers Initiative is a go ahead."

* * *

 _"We need you to come in."_

 _"Are you kidding? I'm working!"_

 _"This takes precedence."_

 ** _..._**

 _"Natasha. Barton's been compromised."_

 _"... Let me put you on hold."_

* * *

 _"Sir, an Agent Coulson from SHIELD is on the line."_

 _"I'm not in. I'm actually out."_

 _"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting."_

 _"Close the line Jarvis. I got a date."_

 **...**

 _"Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten."_

 _"Stark, we need to talk."_

 _"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message."_

 _"This is urgent."_

 _"Then leave it urgently."_

 _"Security breach."_

* * *

 _"Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanoff? Because that's not gonna work out for_ everyone."

 _"No. No. Of course not. I'm here on behalf of SHIELD."_

 _"SHIELD. How did they find me?"_

 _"We never lost you, doctor. We've kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent."_

 ** _..._**

 _"But now I need you to come in."_

 _"What if I said no?"_

 _I'll persuade you."_

 _"And what if the... other guy says no?_ "

* * *

"Sir, all targets have been approached."

* * *

Whispering wind, in a semblance of sorrow and love, caressed the figure that sat crossed-legged beneath the canopy of the trees. The hanging of the branches embracing the man lovingly in a cocoon, nature itself seemed to gravitate towards him.

Emerald eyes snapped open as discord and rampant magic unbalanced the precarious scale of stability and harmony in which the Earth had sat herself upon. It seemed as if dark magic and dark thoughts had invaded the sanctity of life and had brought about death and destruction. The existence of harmony was necessary in the world of nature as life would be meaningless and, daresay, impossible without a balance. Black and white, good and evil, balance could not be maintained without the other. The philosophy of Yin and Yang itself, where everything exists with a contradictory opposite that serves to balance the other out, dictates that each side - the Yin and the Yang - has, at its core, the other present; neither side is superior to the other, for harmony only exists with a perfect balance of both sides and so an increase to one side will subsequently bring about a correlating decrease to the other. So when the harmony was disrupted, nature would, first, show signs of an imbalance and would then strive to correct the balance correctly by creating darkness or lightness accordingly. This would happen every so often and would, usually, be corrected by nature itself. However, nature sometimes would struggle to meet an equilibrium should the disturbance be too large, too great, for it to manage. At times like these it would be necessary for Mother Magic to step in and reset the balance. This was such an occasion; it seemed as if something great had disrupted the equilibrium and had tipped the scales in favour of the darkness so influentially that the power of the light could not balance out this new imbalance. The light needed a champion, a saviour to fight for the light amongst the darkness, an individual who could be both dark and light and had obtained the power of both.

 _He_ would be the light's champion. _He_ was, after all, the Mother's child and champion who had, already, conquered Death.

 _He_ was their last hope; _He_ was **his** last hope.

 _He_ was the Last Wizard and _he_ would save them all.

* * *

 **Dialogue in this chapter is true to the Avengers script. I just borrowed the lines for this chapter, with a few slight differences here and there and the addition of my own lines to glue the story together. Thanks for reading so far!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Lost

**This chapter will be from Loki's POV. It might not make sense but the next chapter should clear it up. A really short chapter for now but it gives me a bit more time to work on the next chapter.**

 _Loki's thoughts..._

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

"Kneel before me." _Like I did before him._

"I said. Kneel!" _Weaklings. Ignorance. Subjugation. Glory._

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." _Before me. Before him._

* * *

"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king!" _You let me fall! I only wanted to..._

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights. No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki." _No, brother I... I did not wish this between us. They have taken you from us... From me._

"And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?" _Why do you choose them over me?_ _Why can't you see me?_

You think yourself above them." _Never, brother. I only wish you to see me._

"Well, yes." _Arrogant weakli-. No!_

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill." _I only wanted the very best for the sake of you. They are making you soft, gullible! Weak to the throes of foes and allies alike!_

"I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it.." _When **It** wields me..._

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?" _I c-can't tell y-..._

"I am a king!" _Please! He's hurting me! It hurts! It hurts so much... _

"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream! You come home." _Please, brother. I can't. It hurts. He's not le-..._

"I don't have it. You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where." _Please save me, brother..._

 _...I-I'm scared._

* * *

 **Pain. Sorrow. Regret.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _It hurts. It hurts so much._

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 **Pain. Torture. Manipulation.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Can anyone hear me?_

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 **Pain... Darkness... Subjugation...**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Will anyone hear me?_

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

Green eyes - greener than the brightest jewel - gazing at him, embracing him with their warmth. Purity, power, protector; the gaze filling him with hope and light.

He sleeps. He dreams. He isn't too sure. Reality, fantasy, he imagines a saviour to offer him redemption. The eyes - never judging, never accusing - hold him within their gaze. Always offering him silent comfort. Offering him forgiveness.

"Will you ridicule me like the others? Confine me to a life of never-ending bitterness and solitude in my own personal nightmare of whence I'll never wake? Control me?"

 _Will you see me?_

 _Will you mock me?_

"Or will you set me free from this bird cage I am trapped within? The darkness enshrouding my sight, ever closer to swallowing me whole?"

 _Will you help me?_

 _Will you save me?_

'Will you condemn me or will you redeem me? I truly wonder...'

* * *

 **I was really stuck with this so I thought I'd do a Loki POV this chapter to develop his character. These are his inner thoughts. Just to clarify, Loki does hate humanity but there's a reason that will be revealed later. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8 - Purpose

**Chapter 8**

Emerald eyes watched as the very essence of the _Lost One_ oozed desperation and disgrace. His soul, crying to the heavens for an end to his suffering, someone to hear his pleas, crumbling in will and might with each unheard cry. Losing himself; his identity as a warrior, a mischief-maker, a _prankster_ slowly being forgotten. Light-hearted memories of childhood - of love - slowly being overwritten with malicious taunts and threats by meddlesome meddling, the man was truly pitiful.

Agonised cries and pleading permeated the _Lost One's_ soul as web after web of manipulation and lies was spun, encasing his mind like that of a blanket. Slowly losing that last bit of himself with each cry, the man's sanity was steadily deteriorating with each new torture, gradually leaving behind a facade of arrogance and power as the Dark's corruption deepened within.

Watching the pitiful existence, the emerald gaze hardened with resolve.

* * *

Hadrian had felt the call of Magic ever since a young age. A tingling sensation that seemed to soothe every ache and misery with an embrace of warmth and love, he had always been aware that his magic was sentient. His suspicions, only confirmed, after the Battle when Magic herself had called for him, a tugging sensation guiding him, wanting him. She had chosen him and comforted him. Loved him and never judged him. And had soothed his fractured soul, touched by slight madness and mounting despair, after his fight was done. The Mother had gifted Hadrian with a new life, a new _purpose,_ a way to be able to breathe and continue to live when all he wanted to do was curl up and die, joining those who were truly lost to him.

It had taken him a while to overcome his grief enough to be able to function. He still had his bad days where he hurt so much; similar to a band of ice grasping his heart between its cold digits stopping him from inhaling, his grief and despair loomed over him. Like an intruder in another person's body he had sat, numb to the world, in the aftermath of the Battle. Pile after pile of bodies. Friends. Family. Enemies. Bodies had littered the ground all around him. Faces awashed in terror, some in peace whilst others had been frozen in pain even in death. Limbs, guts and blood had spread across the scene, painting the picture of death and destruction in a mocking red.

Unseeing eyes, unfeeling heart, his body and mind had shut down completely. Days, nights, weeks. Time had lost all meaning. When he finally roused from the despair-filled trance he had trapped himself in he had heaved great shuddering sobs and had broken down after finally allowing himself to finally grief for those he had lost in his life. No more would he see twinkling eyes and riddles, hooked noses and scorn. No more bushy hair and beauty, redheaded family; a sister and a family. No more weird tips, brave timidness; friends. And no more mad adventures, sweet promises; a saviour, a 'dogfather' - Padfoot. He had lost it all. Lost them. He remembered crying to the heavens for an end to his suffering from the unbearable plan, shouting and pleading for someone to hear his wish. Pleading and pleading.

 **...**

Mother Magic had watched as her chosen warrior had succumbed to grief. Too broken, too lost to console, her only choice she had was to watch. She could not directly meddle in the affairs of Man but she could direct her child subtly.

 **...**

When Hadrian had finally calmed, he had vowed to never again let himself become attached to anyone. With this vow he had reinvented himself into 'Hadrian', moving away from his painful memories and fleeing to America where he would no longer be reminded of those he lost. 'Content' Hadrian had left his past behind. The only thing that brought him back home to Hogwarts was the pull on his Magic. Through the four years he had left Britain he had felt a pull on his magic slowly directing him home. Having resisted it since his leaving he was startled, however, when the pull increased tenfold, almost bringing Hadrian to his knees. With the mounting force behind the pull and the close surveillance he had seemingly been under by at least two separate organisations, Hadrian had finally chosen to return.

Walking amongst the rubble and destruction of his first true home had been sobering. Hogwarts, the proud, beautiful school, had been reduced to a mere shade of what it once was. He had never truly marvelled at the building after the Battle, he had simply buried the dead - enemy and ally alike - and then ran. _Like a coward,_ his mind had supplied. So he had no idea the true devastation of his beloved school. Truly a shock, he had stopped to stare at the grounds in despair. Feeling another strong pull, he had let his feet follow the insistent path that he was being led upon right up into the Forbidden Forest. It was here where he first encountered Mother Magic and it was here where he was given new life. Learning that he had been born with a purpose predestined was shocking to say the least, but learning he had been born with _two_ purposes had been a hard pill to swallow. He had always believed he had been born to defeat Lord Voldemort, born to sacrifice himself so that others could live on whilst he joined his parents in a new adventure beyond death. So when he was informed that he had a bigger role to play in life, he was both relieved and angered. Relieved that he would, again, have purpose to replace the bereft feeling he had been left with after the war had ended and angered that he, still, had not endured enough in his life and was still at the mercy of the higher forces of Fate and Destiny.

 **...**

The Mother gave him knowledge. Knowledge of the true essence of Magic and knowledge of the balance - life and death, good and evil, light and dark. She had shown him magic beyond his wildest dreams, educating him and training him in it. Meditation, magical control, magical sense and his Sight was enhanced through hard work on a daily basis. Weapons training, combat and stealth were also taught to him. By the end of the year in the Forbidden Forest Mother Magic had raised a warrior of the light and just in time for darkness had made its move. A tremor in the strength of the Light was the only indication of an imbalance as she sensed that the Dark was overpowering the Light somehow. So with this new imbalance in the world, Mother Magic had decided it was time for her new Warrior of Light to leave and embark on his mission of maintaining equality for the balance of life.

* * *

 ** _~ Violence, twisted_** _**magic, powerful artifact,**_ _ **manipulation, mind magic,** **death and destruction. Man. Sobbing, begging, weakened. Pained, manipulated. Magic. Lost. Imbalance. ~**_

Emerald eyes snapped open as discord and rampant magic unbalanced the precarious scale of stability and harmony in which the Earth had sat herself upon. It seemed as if dark magic and dark thoughts had invaded the sanctity of life and had brought about death and destruction. His Sight had shown him that an Infinity Stone - the Mind Stone - had been released and was on Earth, masquerading as a conduit of power, a sceptre. A God, ensnared by its manipulations of power promises and hushed lies, had fallen from the Light and had caused the shift in balance towards the dark. Darkness could not be left unchecked and left to roam the mortal world. It was his job as Magic's Chosen Warrior of Light to dispel the darkness and bring about an equilibrium again.

He _would_ save this Loki. And he _would_ save the world.

After all, he _was_ Harry James Potter, the Last Wizard.


	10. Chapter 9 - Blue Eyes, Emerald Eyes

**Sorry for the delay. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Hadrian watched as Loki wrought destruction. Smirking, the God flaunted the power in his sceptre as if it was his own. His sceptre blasting the police cars, a mere conduit of another's will, a danger to his sanity. Shaking his head, Hadrian sighed silently.

"Kneel before me. I said. Kneel!"

He continued to watch as the God became more irate, more enthusiastic with the tantalising power of the Mind Stone using it to flaunt and destroy.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

Arrogance. The man had a superiority complex. _And a large one at that_ , Hadrian mused. Not everyday would he see the corruption brought on by greed and power so vividly, so apparent to the naked eye. The war had shown him, though, that unfounded arrogance was but an individual's own self-destructive downfall, a way to bring about their reckoning. Arrogance was carelessness, but confidence, however, was another story. Confidence in one's own abilities brought self-realisation and with this the ability to understand the limits of themselves. Many a warrior had lost themselves to arrogance and greed; believing they were superior to all, inferior to none, man's ego was their ultimate weakness.

Misguided anger, misguided jealousy; the God was a prisoner to his own feelings, twisted as they were by his puppeteer. His intention to rule, to subjugate, had always been present deep within his subconscious desires, desires that grew with each new unseen slight and humiliation suffered by him. It seemed as if his puppeteer had exploited his growing desires and had twisted his mind, pushing him further towards actions he, until now, had not acted upon. Hadrian's magic had picked up this through a quick, brief look into the thoughts of the God through the act of Legilimens.

The arrival of a costume-clad individual grasping a matching shield startled Hadrian out of his musing. Deflecting a beam of blue energy from its target of an elderly man with his shield, the man's entrance brought a chance of escape to the cowering crowd. With Loki now distracted and the crowd fleeing to safety, the individual had successfully reduced the risk of any more civilian casualties through the destruction a direct altercation between the two sides may bring.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki, gaining his feet, sneered in reply. "The soldier. A man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time." The soldier snarked back.

The whirring of an aircraft engine and the amplification of a familiar - at least to Hadrian - feminine voice over a speaker interrupts the two sides announcing the arrival of SHIELD to Hadrian and the warring men. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

A blue energy blast was the returning reply. Swerving, the aircraft was saved by Loki's attack through a thin margin. Hadrian watched as this attack seemingly roused the soldier from his state of cautious observation; throwing his shield at the God, the man attacked. He watched as the soldier and the God fought, both sides pushing the other to greater heights. And he watched as the God brought the soldier to his knees, at his mercy, lifting his sceptre until the tip touched the masked helmet-covered head. Intently observing the scuffle, he did not miss the arrival of a humanoid metal suit. The entrance of yet another player in this disastrous game of chess did not surprise Hadrian, however, not in the least. In fact, it only confirmed that something was truly amiss and that his intervention had been fated, as had his eventual confrontation with Death had been years ago and as had his approaching encounter with Loki had been too.

The two individuals stood side by side against the magic wielder the obnoxious colouring of his dear Gryffindor house of the metal man at a stark contrast to the patriotic symbolic colouring of the soldier. Tensing, prepared to intervene if necessary, he waited for the God's next action after the clear outnumbering of himself and the bold threatening actions of the metal suited man. Sneering, the God truly looked like he would continue fighting. That is until he looked up and met Hadrian's gaze.

* * *

Loki basked in the power he had so _generously_ been given. His birthright, this power should have been his from his first wailing breath as a new babe upon these realms. Trembling in delight, he grinned maliciously, watching the ants scuttle away from him. Fleeing, screaming, flailing.

Like cattle he herded them. Like prey he cornered them. Like a ruler he brought them to their knees. Weaklings. Cowards. _Humans,_ he spat in his mind, his lips curling in distaste.

Distaste was a familiar emotion to himself; like his shadow it had stalked him through life. Distasteful abandonment by his supposed kin, distasteful scorn and isolation by his fellow peers and distasteful rejection by his family; the God was well-versed in its effects on an individual's mind. It was perhaps this familiarity with the emotion that left him feeling nothing but disdain and scorn for the universe that had let this happen to him. No longer would he be fate's toy but Loki - a King over all the races, their God and their leader. With magic at his fingertips and the coercive power of his sceptre the nine realms would tremble at his might. And all those who opposed him would crumble at his feet.

Smirking, he watched the kneeling crowd cower as he approached. But a few words and already the humans were crumbling in will and might. Well, all but one reckless, bleeding heart. Oh, how he marvelled at their recklessness, their sheer inability to grasp reality. Delusional, emotional, destructive; humanity were nothing more than a mere disturbance.

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example."

He would break them. Break all of them. Their will and might crumbling, he would weaken them further. Take out their strong and the weakling race would fall. All he had to do was break their mighty in front of them, demonstrating his own strength in the process, and the race of Man would grovel at his feet for mercy. They would recognise him as their better, their King, and by subjugating them he would uphold his end of the bargain.

Letting lose a blast of his magic at the elderly human, he was startled, however, when the blue beam was returned, knocking him off his feet. Wincing slightly - less at the impact and more at the undignified heap he had been reduced to - he regained his feet, just in time to observe his new target. _Ah, the lost captain,_ he smirked.

"The soldier. A man out of time."

 **...**

The arrival of SHIELD did not startle Loki, in fact it excited him. With the entrance of such a big player in his game his scheming mind could now execute his plan. He would divide and conquer them, starting with the two foolish humans before him. Sneering at the man of iron and the patriotic soldier standing united before him, he lifted his sceptre higher in the air. Prepared to continue his fight, he was distracted, however, by a flash of light. Looking up, familiar emerald eyes met his.

* * *

Blue eyes met emerald eyes in a startled clash of familiarity and emotion. Hadrian watched as the God faltered beneath his gaze; hesitation visible through his body language, Loki wavered. Longing, disbelief and desperation visible in his eyes, the God seemed to crumble as if Hadrian himself had relieved him of a great burden.

A haunted, tortured gaze met the emerald-eyed watcher. Conflict clearly apparent in the God's eyes, the brief flicker of green within the gaze caught Hadrian's attention. Time slowed as realisation hit Hadrian. The God was not as lost as he had previously feared, no, in fact it seemed as if the magic-wielder was still hanging precariously on to the limited control of consciousness he had continued to fight for since he had first fallen to the dark. Overjoyed at the chance of redemption, Hadrian smiled at the man before disappearing in a flash of light.

* * *

The startled blue gaze widened with familiarity. Clashing emerald eyes, brighter and more beautiful than the most precious of jewels, met Loki's eyes. Honest and powerful, the gaze sent shivers racing up and down his spine. Wavering, his resolve to dominate - to subjugate - crumbled as the watcher continued to stare into his soul. Fractured emotions, unable to be contained anymore, spilt forth. His eyes, the very window to his soul, refused to leave the emerald gaze despite how vulnerable and exposed it left him feeling. Desperate, he silently begged the man for an end to his suffering.

 _Will you save me... please?_

Observing the man so closely, he did not fail to miss the surprise in the other man's eyes, nor the softening of his gaze. Emerald eyes blazed brighter as the man that was familiar, yet was not, smiled in return.

 _I will save you, I promise._

The whispered words caressed his broken mind, soothing his fractured soul and briefly providing him with a semblance of peace for the time since he could remember. Closing his eyes in relief, he sighed. A bright light startled him out of his reverie. Opening previously closed eyes, he almost wept...

The emerald-eyed man was gone and with him his chance of escape from the dark recesses of his manipulative, torturous mind. Aching and lost he let himself be submerged into darkness.

* * *

Sneering blue eyes surveyed the humans before him. Resolve hardening, he let the sceptre fall out of his hands to hit the floor. Smirking, he raised his palms heavenwards, letting his armour dematerialise into the air.

"I surrender."


	11. Chapter 10 - New Encounters

**Chapter 10**

If Hadrian had been aware of what his leaving would do to Loki then he never would've left. Unaware of the crushing blow he himself had dealt to the God mentally, Loki's state of deterioration rapidly increased with the perceived abandonment. But alas, he was not omnipotent and was still prone to mistakes even with the additional training he had received to prepare him for his new role. He was, after all, only one man. Despite Hadrian promising to save the other, the damage of an insecure, troubled mind had already reduced the God to a desolate mess of despair and anger. His inexperience in dealing with tortured souls, the wizard was truly lost. Acknowledging his weakness and inability, he had left in search of answers. Seeking a way to release Loki of his puppeteer had been infuriating. Similar to the effects of the imperius curse, the manipulation ran deep and corresponded with the will of the victim. Gaining total control over an individual, few could break free unless their will was greater than normal. Inner strength and careful premature defending of the mind were the only hopes in overthrowing such a curse. However, taking into consideration that this was the Mind Stone, these precautions were pretty much rendered useless. One of six infinity stones, these ancient stones pre-existed the universe and were each remnants of a singularity. The Mind Stone, capable of governing the mind of all sentient beings, was created alongside it's fellow five power stones by the four Cosmic Entities. Creating six singularities and forging them into a concentrated metal mold each, they had dubbed these stones as the Infinity Stones. Infinite power, these stones could wipe out civilisation should they ever be used. Highly dangerous, it worried Hadrian that Loki had somehow been given such a destructive power. His puppeteer would have surely known what the source of power was - the Mind Stone - and still he had given it to the God. Either the unknown individual was mad or they had an abundance of power and resources that left them confident in their manipulations. Either way the mystery individual was worrisome for Hadrian.

The brief eye contact between Loki and Hadrian had revealed to the wizard so much more than what he had previously Seen. He had already bore witness to a trembling soul, cowering away from the oppressive darkness within his own mind. Manipulated and twisted beyond repair, the God was losing his last real grasp on reality and consciousness. When the two had met the other's gaze, Legilimens had revealed to Hadrian that, despite what he had previously Seen, it was not too late for the God. The manipulated soul was still fighting for control. And since he could not save someone who truly did not desire to be saved, it came as a relief to see the brief struggle behind the God's eyes. It was not too late for Hadrian to save Loki. No, with the God's continuous struggle for control, it made it easier for Hadrian to help him. Until he knew more about the situation, in particular about the puppeteer, he could not jump head first into it; he would have to know more before he could even think about saving the God.

When he had delved into the God's mind he had been shocked to witness the true horrors plaguing the man's mind. Torturous mind games, ingenious manipulation - the God had become so twisted he could no longer distinguish memory from nightmare. A man enshrouded in darkness, menacing, had stood over the cowering form of Loki. Watching as the darkness pressed in on the trickster, he had seemingly choked as the oppressive silence had suffocated him. Hadrian could only watch as the God struggled to free himself until he fallen still and silent again. Dull green eyes had met shocked emerald when the beaten God had looked up. A flicker of fire had ignited the passionate orbs staring at Hadrian for but a brief moment. Recognition and determination had painted the man's previously pained face. Overjoyed that the God was not lost to the darkness yet, Hadrian had been too hasty in leaving to find answers to the questions that had assaulted him after he had delved into the other's mind. If he had only stayed and watched slightly longer he would have noticed the black limb entangle the God's throat like a noose, dragging him back under and into the dark abyss.

* * *

The slight whirring of the Quinjet was the only noise that accompanied the otherwise tense silence the group had found themselves in. Natasha, watching the skies as thunder started to rage, was wary and clearly on edge. Being a spy had taught her to always listen to her instincts and right now they were screaming at her that something was wrong. Loki had given up too easily, had smirked even as he had been handcuffed and marched into the jet. The God was scheming and definitely had something up his sleeve, but 'what' she had no idea.

"Said anything yet?" The gruff rumble in her ear alerted her to her boss' impatience. Shifting her headset, she glanced at the subject of his irritation, slyly, out of the corner of her eye.

"Not a word."

"Just get him here. We're low on time." Grumbling, demanding; Fury was stressed and Natasha knew that the trickster's silence weighed heavily on him. Both knew the God was up to something yet both knew not what it was. There was no time to play with the God, they had to know what he was scheming and put an end to it before it put an end to them. Sighing, the redhead bit her lip.

 **...**

Loki sat, handcuffed to his seat. Across from him two men stood off to the side, whispering. Sending furtive glances at the restrained God, one was more noticeably wary of the rather easy surrender than the other.

"I don't like it." Steve Rogers frowned at his companion.

 **"** What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" His companion drawled back.

"I don't remember it being ever that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?" Smirking, Tony Stark grinned at the utter confusion on the other man's face.

"What?"

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle." _Winding up the good ol' cap was fun,_ he grinned.

Steve just stared back at Stark, unamused. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you." Emerald eyes flashed before his vision. Shaking his head, he let the thoughts disappear before they could trouble him.

The sudden clap of thunder and a flash of lightning that lit the air startled the occupants inside the Quinjet. The thunder and lightning had been too close, almost striking the jet from the air.

"Where's this coming from?" Natasha had been watching the skies carefully. Thunder had continued to roll ominously ever since they had first set off with Loki in toll. However, it was only in the past few minutes that the storm had gotten stronger and closer. With a bad feeling in her chest, she had continued to warily watch her surroundings. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning scraped past the wing of the Quinjet, just missing them. The intensity of the storm overhead shook the jet. In response Loki's head snapped up and he glared nervously with an intensity out of the window. Steve, who had been watching Loki as he became more irate, narrowed his eyes.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?"

Sneering, Loki muttered. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

A blinding light and a strong tremor hit the Quinjet. Shaken, the others could only watch as a blond, muscular man with a hammer opened the ramp hatch and grabbed the restrained God by the throat. Falling out, the two seemed to fly away. Dumbstruck by the turn of events, the two men jumped out after them.

 **...**

The blue eyed smirking God hit the earth after being thrown down by the blond man. Raising his hammer threateningly, the blonde looked down at his once thought lost brother, angered at his deception and his manipulations.

"Where is the Tesseract?"

Laughing, Loki sarcastically replied. "I missed you too, _brother_."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?!"

"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth." Sneering, Loki spat out. Angered, Thor dropped his hammer, sending a tremor through the mountain, and grabbed his brother.

"I thought you dead."

"Did you mourn?"

"We all did. Our Father-"

" _Your_ Father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" Starting to lose his temper, Loki shrugged off Thor and walked away from him slightly. Defeated, Thor could only plead with his brother.

"We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

Whipping around with a scowl, Loki snarled. "I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be King!" Panting harshly by the end of his outburst the God seemed to tremble with barely concealed rage.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights. No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki."

"And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them." A statement.

"Well, yes." Surprised at such an obvious answer, Loki blinked at Thor.

Shaking his head in disappointment, the blond man sighed. "Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill."

Shoving his brother to the side, Loki stalked past him up to the ledge. Turning around, he snarled nd mocked. "I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it..."

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?"

"I am a King!" Indignant the trickster roared at the other.

"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!" Roaring back, Thor's voice softened towards the end. "You come home."

"I don't have it." The trickster shrugged. "You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where." Waving his hand dismissively, he grinned.

Calling Mjölnir, the hammer flew into his grasp. Pointing his weapon at his brother, Thor growled. "You listen well, brother. I-" A bright red and gold blur slammed into the side of the God, forcing him from his fight in an unwilling flight. Tackled, the God and the blur disappeared from the mountain.

"I'm listening." Smirking, Loki cupped his ear. Quietly watching his brother and the arrogant one fight, he grinned in amusement. Laughing, the God turned and started to walk away when the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. Stopping, he tilted his head to the side, curious about the tingling sensation.

"I wouldn't take another step further, Loki Odinson, God of Mischief."

Whipping around, blue eyes widen in recognition.

"You-"

* * *

The sudden entrance of two individuals, crashing into the forest, disturbed the otherwise quiet, lulling song of nature. Thor, knocked from his feet, rolled himself up to face the still standing Stark in his Iron Man suit. Keeping their distance from each other, they weighed each other up. Opening up his helmet, Stark met the gaze of the angry God.

"Do not touch me again!" Furious at being attacked, the God snarled at the man. Brushing off his cape and his armor, Thor glared at his opponent.

"Then don't take my stuff." Stark snarked back.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with." Straightening to his full height, the God of Thunder threatened the other.

"Shakespeare in the park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"

"This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice!"

"He gives up the Cube, he's all yours. Until then, stay out of my way... tourist." With a smirk, the Iron Man helmet slipped shut. Walking away from the irate God, Stark was ill-prepared for when Thor suddenly pulls Mjölnir from his belt and throws it at the unsuspecting man, knocking him off of his feet and sending him crashing through various trees.

Raising his hand, Mjölnir sailed through the air meeting the God's outstretched limb with a soft thwack. Summoning a bolt of lightning, he swung the hammer in an arc. Ready to send the metal man flying, the God tensed. Eyes narrowed. Fingers twitched. They both stared the other down. Standing up and blasting a beam of energy from both of his hands, Stark knocked the intimidating Thor sailing off his feet. Following after the airborne God, Iron Man blasted the other into the trees. Grunting, the Asgardian slid across the forest floor. Kneeling, the God of Thunder pulled his mighty hammer through the air, returning it to his hand. Calling to the power of the storm, thunder and lightning crackling around the weapon, he pointed it at the metal man. Sneering, he watched as the bolts of condensed power struck the other, increasing in intensity with each passing second. Falling back, Iron Man slid across the floor, crouched slightly from the impact.

"Power is at 400% capacity, Sir." The tinny, cultured voice of Jarvis in his ear had Stark grinning.

"How about that?" He whistled in wonderment, intrigued by the outcome. Powered up and now more prepared to fight the God, Stark attacked.

* * *

Steve Rogers was having a bad day. It felt like only yesterday he had said goodbye to his precious Peggy as he crashed the Hydra bomber into the freezing abyss. In an attempt to stop the bomber from reaching land with bombs set to detonate he had taken command over the vehicle and had steered it towards the ocean. The Tesseract, having had its case damaged and disintegrating the Skull in a flash of bright light after touching it, had fallen from the bomber several miles back. With his end imminent he had caressed his picture of Peggy as he had bid her farewell, apologising for breaking his promise. Hearing her voice as he had hit the ice, he had remembered thinking dying to the last sound of an angelic voice was his last reprieve before the cold snatch of darkness had surrounded him.

Waking up had been torturous for him, especially after finding the world to be a different place - a different _time._ But waking up to discover that the Tesseract was back nearly broke him. The Tesseract had taken them all from him - his men, Peggy, Bucky - and here it was, back again and causing problems, even after all that he had sacrificed for its disappearance from the world. A power so great as to turn man against man, ally against ally in a mad scramble of greed and hatred, the cube was truly cursed.

So still grieving for his life before the ice, and only recently awoken, he had been lost. Falling into the natural pattern of punching, he had tried to lose himself into the consistent thumps of the punching bag. _Thump. Thump._ Left. Right. Pushing himself, pushing his body, he had tried to express his pain and despair through his training. When Director Fury had accosted him about a mission he had been hesitant. That was until he had explained that Hydra's secret weapon, the dreaded Tesseract, was back and he needed loyal men to fight him.

"You should've left it in the ocean." And with these words he had seemingly accepted his mission.

And so that was how he found himself here; jumping out of the Quinjet with his trusty shield strapped to his back and a parachute to brace his fall, chasing after Gods with hammers and lies. Arriving on the scene to see the two - Stark and this new mystery man - scuffling, with no sight of the blue eyed trickster had annoyed him. Losing his impatience he had intervened.

"Hey! That's enough!" Coming down the mountain to where the two were, he had snapped. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here."

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!" The blond, muscled man had snapped back at him. Raising an eyebrow at both the tone and the words, he had challenged the other.

"Then prove it! Put the hammer down."

"Um, yeah, no! Bad call! He loves his hammer!" Stark, the ever present disturbance, had 'helpfully' supplied. Ignoring the man, he, was, however, secretly amused when the inventor went flying from an intruding backhand from the hammer. It seemed that the mystery man had lost all tolerance with the two in front of him, he had mused.

"You want me to put the hammer down?" Roaring, the man leapt. Flying higher into the sky, he had raised his hammer. Prepared and aware of what the man would do, Steve had raised his shield, crouching down to reinforce his strength and stability. A clanging of metals as the two met and a bright implosion of light, the hammer and shield connecting sent a reverberating tremor a mile-wide, knocking all three backwards. Keeping an eye on the man, who in turn was watching them warily, he had tensed in preparation for another attack.

"Are you all quite done now?" The smooth, exotic baritones interrupted the situation. Startled, they all turned to the voice, unprepared for what they would see.

* * *

 **Dialogue is true to the Avengers script, with the exception of my own additions here and there. Thank you for reading!**


	12. Chapter 11 - Caught!

**Chapter 11**

Handcuffed and surrounded by SHIELD agents, Loki smiled. Marched along through the halls of the Helicarrier, his content with the situation blatantly obvious. Passing the Helicarrier lab, he craned his neck slightly and peered into the window. Observing the beast - the _Monster_ \- and his interest with _his_ sceptre he nodded and smirked at the nervous doctor. _It seems everything is in place,_ he mused. A well-aimed shove in the back gets his feet walking again and after briefly scowling at the offender, he continues on down the halls at a sedate stroll. Carefree on the surface, he is, however, a bubbling mass of confusion and conflict. With an internal frown, he recalled the reason why he was so distracted.

•••

 _Quietly watching his brother and the arrogant one fight, he grinned in amusement. Laughing, the God turned and started to walk away when the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. Stopping, he tilted his head to the side, curious about the tingling sensation._

 _"I wouldn't take another step further, Loki Odinson, God of Mischief."_

 _Whipping around, blue eyes widen in recognition._

 _"You_ - _" Leaping back, he increased their distance. Startled and wary, Loki tensed and crouched slightly, prepared for a confrontation. **I-I know him but... Who is he?** "Who are you?"_

 _"Me? I am no one of importance." Laughing emerald eyes crinkled with amusement at the God. "My name, though? I have been called much, some, ah, names worse than others, but you can call me Hadrian." Scratching his head sheepishly, he mock-whispered. "At least that is what I go by now."_

 _Straightening himself up to his impressive height, Loki smirked. "Very well_ Hadrian, _why are you following me?" Trembling hands, bound together in front of him, clenched into fists. Nervous, the God let his arrogance mask his fear._

 _"Following you? Hm, not quite. Following the winds of Fate and Destiny, however? Perhaps."_

 _Bewildered at the sheer honesty present within the man's words and face, Loki could only stare blankly at the man at his outrageous declaration. "Fate and Destiny? Hm? What poetic ramblings." Sniffing, he declared disdainfully. "Nonsense_ _of a madman."_

 _Humming noncommittally Hadrian shrugged at the God. With no intention to reply, the silence seemed to stretch between the pair. Seeing as the other would no longer say anything on the matter, Loki let it drop. "Well, seeing as the conversation is clearly, and evidently, over I shall be on my way."_ _Turning on his heel, he pushed off of his foot intending to make his escape before his blundering oaf of a brother would notice._

 _"Carpe Retractum." The quiet murmur had Loki swinging around when a golden rope wrapped around his waist, binding his already bound hands to his stomach in the process, and pulled him back to the other. Grunting and tugging Loki snarled at Hadrian._

 _"Release me! Release me at once!" Panting after his outburst, the God continued to struggle. "I_ _mpudent brat. You shall release me this instance. I am a King and I will not be treated like thi-." Opening and shutting his mouth to continue his tirade, no sound escaped. Glaring at the amused man, Loki realised the other had something to do with this. Turning, Hadrian walked to the side of the mountain, the rope still attached to Loki dragging the God with him, and watched as the trio bickered and fought. Simply observing the fight, he stood silently even when the God turned his gaze to the three too._

 _Sighing, he muttered. " I_ _am afraid, dear Loki, that your request is impossible. You must continue on this path, or risk falling deeper into the clutches of despair. I am truly sorry..." Flicking his wrist the rope disappeared and the silencing spell was cancelled. Shocked, Loki blinked at the other as Hadrian gave him a small, sad smile before disappearing down below._

 _"Are you all quite done now?" Exasperation clear in his tone, the man drily uttered._

 _•••_

Witnessing the three heads swivelling in sync, snapping to Hadrian, would have amused him greatly if he hadn't had been pondering the man's previous words intensely. Even now, he was still baffled by their meaning. The melancholic look on the emerald-eyed face had torn something inside him. Seeing someone else so lost, so sad, had reminded him of himself. The familiar longing, the familiar despair, the familiar pain; he had briefly identified himself with the man on the mountain before the other had turned away. A kindred spirit he had been indeed. He had been so caught up in the man that his brief window of escape was lost; his oaf of a brother had been all too keen to drag him back with him and the Midgardians onto this metal contraption after Hadrian had attracted their attention from their fight to his bound self.

The melody of the steady rhythm of pounding boots was interrupted, dragging the God from his internal conflict, as the sight of the glass cage came into view. A harsh shove and the trickster tumbled into his new prison. Sighing, he straightened and smirked at the imposing figure across from him, behind him the whirring of the door sealing him in. Listening to the man rant at him was tedious, even more so than listening to Thor boast about his latest conquests. He had to play his cards right, otherwise his masterful planning would be all for nought if the Midgardians even caught wind of it before it was time to show them. Tuning back into the snarling man in front of him, his smirk grew wider at the man's words.

"An impressive cage. Not built, I think, for someone like me." _Let the foolish mortals dwell on the supposed plans for that mindless beasts, all the while they destroy themselves through their own narrow perceptions and doubt,_ he mused. Smug, he allowed himself to gloat over his ingenious manipulation to tear them apart and weaken the group as a whole. Divide and conquer, after all, was his trademark plan of attack. Inwardly cackling in delight, he continued his back and forth with the man. With a last parting shot, Loki was left alone with the leaving of the other. Smirking, he raised his eyes to the camera and winked at his watchers. All the while he bade his time, waiting for the right moment to attack.

* * *

The hard metal cuffs bit into his flesh. Grimacing and shifting slightly in discomfort, the cuffs clanked with each tiny movement. Sighing, Hadrian tried to ignore the biting cold from the metal chair he had been forced into after arriving at the Helicarrier. His hands cuffed to the armrests of his seat and his legs to the front legs, he was stuck. Uncomfortable in such a compromising position, it didn't help that his stiff body could find no comfortable position in which eased the solidity of the chair against his back and behind. He groaned softly at his predicament - he should've known that SHIELD would have reacted like this with his sudden reappearance. Unfortunately, with his hands and feet bound he could not disapparate from his confinement. Although he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve he could not use them, at the moment, to escape from the seat, especially with the steel bands wrapped around his limbs, without risking harm to himself or others on board. His previous experience with muggle technology had warned him of the effect his overpowered magic would have on the technologically advanced base that he was situated upon. Unlike his laptop, the Helicarrier was not warded against his magic unfortunately; using his magic too close to the important machinery and technology keeping the base afloat could result in a magic backlash that could destroy their systems, bringing them down. Until he knew what effect his magic had on the Helicarrier he would have to wait patiently until he knew for sure. That and his magic screamed at him that this choice of surrender was necessary for ameliorating relations between the two parties. He would play the part of the 'captive', all the whilst he would secretly test the base's resistance to his magic. As soon as he had a general idea of the muggle's capabilities, and his magic confirmed it was time, he would be rid of such meaningless confinements but until then he was truly 'stuck'. Straining his ears and closing his eyes, he tried pushing his senses outside of the room.

The sudden banging, noisy entrance of a deep, gravelly voice through the side-door in which he had, admittedly not seen in his earlier inner debate, startled him out of his concentration. Swinging his head towards the man he blinked at the other.

"Mr Potter, we finally meet." The smirking countenance of Nick Fury met his startled gaze. Staying silent, Hadrian stared evenly at the Director. Not expecting a response, Fury was not surprised by the lack of conversation. "It's not often that SHIELD loses track of its targets. However, it's not completely impossible for those with... certain abilities to escape our sight."

Sitting down in front of the wizard, the Director glared. "But you. _You_ are a complete mystery. An orphan after your parents were involved in what was reported as a car crash, you grew up with your mother's sister and her husband with their son. Everything normal until you reached the age of 11 where frequent reports of your consistent disappearance for the next 6 years occurred. At age 17 you went missing for 4 years and then, at age 21, suddenly decided to appear in New York. Following your movements, you displayed an unnatural talent in escaping the sight of my best agents and after approaching two of my best you disappeared for a year where you, for some reason, appear right in the middle of a security threat in the name of Loki, knowledgeable about the situation."

Throwing down the file in front of him, he leaned forward and steepled his fingers in front of him. "So, I'll ask you only once... Who are you really, Mr Potter?"

"Wouldn't the ever-elusive Nicholas Fury, director _of_ SHIELD, know all the answers? With the authority you have surely you would already have the information?" Smirking at the superspy, Hadrian gloated in the small tick of annoyance that the man couldn't keep off of his otherwise stoic face at his jab. Immature and unwise in his position, he couldn't help himself; baiting the man with his own classified information, the wizard thought it was only fair that the other had a taste of his own medicine. After all, it was rare for the superspy to be on the receiving end of the same treatment he offered others; Fury had never been in a situation where a target knew more about him than he did the target. Grinding his teeth, the director glared at the smirking man.

"Even so Mr Potter, the unknown is a threat; you _are_ a threat." A brown eye coolly observed the other. "And threats must be dealt with accordingly."

"Of course. But be that as it may, what defines a threat? Where does the line between good and evil end - from a minor nuisance to a threat? In what right does one have the ability to assess their fellow inhabitants over the rest - to judge another's worth through their own misguided perception?" Licking his lips, the wizard shifted forward in his seat. "Simple questions yet, seemingly, complex answers. We, as humans, oft forget our own roots; we like to forget that we are all born neither good nor evil, innocent nor guilty, but are exposed to each. It takes but one decision to become a 'threat', and one decision to remain an 'innocent'. So answer me this Fury, what right do we have to determine a threat before there is one?"

"It is SHIELD's responsibility to do what others will not do. We may have to dirty our hands, so to speak, but ultimately we get satisfactory results of a safer world with a few less threats. A few casualties, well..." shrugging, the director continued, "sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

Nostrils flaring, Hadrian's head snapped up. Fingers tingling with magic brought on by his emotions, his emerald eyes glowed with power. "Do not speak to me of sacrifice Nicholas Fury. You know not of what I have done, what I have lost. You know nothing of true sacrifice."

"And what would you know of sacrifice?" The slight flickering of the lights overhead alerted Hadrian to his lack of control. Taking deep breathes, he slouched back into his seat.

"..." Busy reining in his magic, the emerald gaze disappeared by a curtain of charcoal eyelashes as the wizard closed his eyes and let himself calm down. Scolding himself internally for his inability to act indifferent, he let his head droop.

A triumphant gleam entered Fury's eye as he observed the now silent man. Pushing his chair back, grabbing the file, he shoved himself to his feet. Leaning forward and over Hadrian, the director smirked maliciously down at the 'bound' wizard.

"I thought so."

Swivelling around on his foot, the superspy arrogantly strutted out of the room. The reverberating slam of the door echoing in the otherwise tense silence. Groaning, Hadrian slumped in his seat.

"... I-I have sacrificed everything... and yet, for nothing..."

 _I have sacrificed everything,_ he mourned.

* * *

Bruce and Tony blinked at the monitor.

 _Something's not right,_ Tony mused, _something's definitely not right; we're_ _missing something here, something important._ Nails tapping the table before him, the billionaire raked a hand though his disheveled hair. Biting his lips, he pushed himself away from the table, the anxious pacing reverberating in the otherwise silent room. _There's definitely something..._

"-on-"

 _...up. He's not finished..._

"-ny"

 _...yet. There's no way he'd be caught this easily._

"-ny!"

 _He's too cunning. The 'God of Mischief and Lies' would not get caught so easil-_

 **"Tony!"** Startled out of his inner ramblings, the hero flinched at the sudden loud noise. Swirling around, wide-eyed, Tony blinked owlishly at the exasperated scientist before him. "Now that I have your attention, will you _please_ just stop pacing! It's making me nervous; making the Other Guy feel on edge too."

"Something's not right, Banner. Loki's planning something, something big. And we can't let him win."

"That's why Fury has tasked us with -."

"And _Fury!_ That man has more secrets than anyone; his secrets have secrets! Superspy, my ass. Than man is scheming something too, and I for one, will not be caught up in it."

Taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose, Bruce Banner sighed tiredly at the ranting maniac in front of him. "Then why did you agree to come on board?"

"To investigate it, of course." He smirked at the now confused scientist.

"Whatever, Tony. Let's just get this over with already." And with these words they got back to work in finding the cube.

* * *

 **Sorry, for the delay. I got really stuck half way through this chapter for ages so eventually I just decided to put up what I've got. It was going to be longer but honestly I didn't want this chapter just jumping around with different stories. I even considered re-writing this whole story, either that or abandoning it. But, I've decided to keep going and see how things go. It took me a while to get this back on track but eventually I got this and my other crossover going again.**

 **Next chapter will be longer hopefully. Thanks for reading**


	13. Chapter 12 - Not Yet

**Chapter 12**

Glimpses of the future, fragments of the past flickered through his mind as he sat and listened to his magic. Urges, urging him towards his task hammered away at his own free will, his last bit of resistance in following Fate once again, with their sweet whispers of hope and promises. Emerald eyes opened, burdened by purpose, burdened by _hope._

Lights flickered overhead, rumbles reverberating beneath his feet through the metal shell like a vicious countdown. _Almost there._ Whispers whispering, chiding his impatience. _Be patient._ The brief echoing of a lost heart and the accompanying hum of bitter green magic vibrated through the air. A tingling sensation raced through his veins, electrifying his blood and exciting his heart. _Now._

"Diffindo."

Hands and feet now free, Hadrian smiled. Stretching nimble fingers out, warming at the embrace of his magic, he sighed in relief. _It is time._

And with that he disappeared.

* * *

 _40 minutes previously..._

The quiet humming of the overhead lights and the quiet tapping of a keyboard accompanied the two men in an otherwise silent room. The low repetitive beeps sounded as one of the scientists stood over the sceptre, observing the results of the gamma ray detection scan, and the other stood hunched over a monitor, entering algorithm after algorithm into the system.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's report on the Tesseract. But it's gonna take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops."

"... And all I packed was a tooth brush."

Looking up at the other, Tony smiled. "You know you should come in past Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's candy land."

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York. I- I kinda broke... Harlem." Shrugging self-deprecatingly, Bruce smiled bitterly as he looked at his hands that grasped nervously at the tails of his shirt. It seemed that whenever it came to his angry alter-ego, the man would lose all confidence and shut himself inside a nervous shell of regret and shame. Noticing the vulnerability in the tense stance of the doctor, Tony sighed inaudibly.

"Well, I promise a stress free environment. No tension." Fiddling with something behind his back, the billionaire turned. "No surprises." And then poked the other with a miniature electrical prod. With a jerk, the doctor yelped as he rubbed his skin that had been zapped. "Nothing?"

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice hissed as a soft click announced the presence of another man. Blue eyes narrowed in on the two and the scene that he had just witnessed, swinging around to the billionaire as he opened his mouth to respond. "Is everything just a joke to you?"

"Funny things are."

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship is not funny." Lifting a hand in a placating manner towards the doctor, Steve sheepishly apologised. "No offence, doctor."

Waving at the embarrassed soldier, Bruce shrugged off the unintended insult. Biting his lip, he watched as the inventor and super soldier argued.

"You need to focus on the problem, Mr Stark."

"You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? What is he not telling us? I can't do the equation if I don't have all the variables."

"You think he's hiding something."

"He's a spy, Captain. He's _the_ spy. His secrets have secrets." Pointing at Bruce, he snorted at the soldier. "It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

Raining his palms in a mock show of surrender, the bewildered doctor stuttered as he was dragged into the conflict between the two other men. "Uh... I just want to get back to work and..." Pausing, realisation crossed his face.

"Doctor?"

"'A warm light for all of mankind', Loki's jab at Fury about the cube." Licking his lips as the soldier murmered his recognition of the clash between the super spy and the god, he continued. "I think that was meant for you Tony."

"Stark Tower? That big, ugly..." Clearing his throat at the glance he got from the inventor, he continued on. "...building in New York?"

"It's powered by Stark reactors, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?" Looking to Tony, he watched as the other man frowned in contemplation, realisation soon crossing his face.

"That's just a prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now."

Gesturing to Tony with a sweep of his hand, the doctor continued to voice his suspicions. "So why did Fury not include him? I mean, why didn't SHIELD bring Stark into the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business anyway?"

"I should probably look into that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files."

Shocked, Steve whipped his head towards Tony after his murmured words. "I'm sorry, did you just say...?"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide." Leaning back onto the desk behind him, he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Smirking at the shocked look on the Captain's face, he watched the other as his mouth flapped open and shut in an attempt to formulate a response. When none was forthcoming he raised an eyebrow at the other, daring the soldier to argue. Huffing at the arrogant man before him, Steve stormed from the room with a silent hiss and click of the door. Reaching into his pocket, Tony pulled out his bag of blueberries and popped one into his mouth, waving the rest towards the exasperated doctor. "Blueberry?"

* * *

 _30 minutes previously..._

"Tony..." Sighing, Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. Exhaling loudly, he held his glasses in one hand as the other rubbed tiredly at swollen, heavy-lidded eyes. Exhaustion heaving at the scientist's weary body, his shoulders slumped further with each futile attempt to straighten up. "Listen-."

"-and I was always saying that he couldn't be trusted as far as-"

"Tony, please just-"

"-just look at these blueprints. Unbelievable! Why I-"

"Tony."

"-just wait for-"

"Tony!"

"He'll regret e-"

 _"Tony! Shut up and listen to me!"_

Slackjawed, the billionaire stared at that the normally timid man. Cut of mid-rant he gaped at his fellow scientist as the man balled clenched fists at his sides, utterly shocked at the other for his otherwise unfamiliar behaviour. He silently watched as the green tinged hue to his friend's face disappeared below his shirt, receding until the man became more like his usual self and not the like the beast he housed.

"Now that I have your attention, will you please just listen to me?" Slumping over, the doctor ran a shaking hand through his untamed mane of hair whilst the other hand dragged his glasses back up onto his face and perched them on a crooked nose. Watching the man sigh tiredly, Tony had never seen the other look so finished. Tired. Done. And at him. _It hurt._ Swallowing thickly, and with a practiced smirk, the playboy disposition was back.

"Why Brucey-baby, you could've just asked." And with a wink to the exhausted man, he grinned at the other. Next it was Bruce's turn to gape as, spluttering angrily, he choked on his words. Closing and opening his mouth in preparation to respond, he caught sight of the twinkling eyes blinking innocently back at him. Exhaling heavily, his anger deflated. Receiving a huff in response and a shake of the head, Tony's smile felt more natural on his face than it ever had before.

Clearing his throat, the doctor tried to regain his composure. "Anyway, ahem, as I was _trying_ to say before. I don't get why you're so surprised, we both knew that you already suspected as much."

"Well, yeah I did suspect ol' one eye but seeing is different than believing, ya know?"

"Yes, but-"

"You saw the files, the _blueprints_ , you know what he's doing. Believing he was up to something and knowing he is up to something are different matters. We can't let him-"

"And what do you propose we do? Storm into his office?"

"Yes! Well no, but, yeah, I mean. He needs to explain-"

"Explain what? His 'secrets have secrets' after all, do you really think he'd care what we think? Look, I don't like it anymore than you do but pointing fingers isn't going to do anything for us right now. We need to wait and see what happens, Tony." Seeing the drooping shoulders and the exhausted wrinkles in the other man's face, the billionaire could only swallow back his protests. "Now, can we just get on with our work? Please?"

* * *

20 _minutes previously..._

A rattle echoed throughout the desolate warehouse as a muscular figure pulled at the heavy metal door. Although reinforced for security, the door was simply not a match for the overpowered soldier and so with a grating squeal in protest it peeled open. Stepping inside stealthily the figure peered around at the metal containers. Looking up at the level above, and with a leap, the figure flew up to grab the railing of the catwalk. With a swing of his leg over the railing, the soldier continued on looking for answers.

* * *

 _10 minutes previously..._

" _What is phase 2?"_

 _..._

Deception, lies, greed.

...

 _"Phase 2 is SHIELD using the cube to make weapons."_

 _..._

Pain, misery, pride.

...

 _"What, were you lying?"_

 _..._

Hatred, glory, envy.

...

 _"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed."_

 _..._

Anger, sorrow, blame.

...

 _"... we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."_

 _..._

Greed, envy, pride.

...

 _"Because of him."_

 _..._

Blame, lies, fear.

...

 _"I thought humans were more evolved than this."_

 _..._

Scorn, hatred, pride.

...

Sneering laughter and smearing words rent through the air as the occupants of the room were manipulated. Like a fly on a web they played perfectedly into the spider's trap. The silent patter of an impending doom unknowingly counting down swiftly. Distorted whispers and gleeful deception creating scornful insults and prideful remarks.

* * *

 **Hidden laughter sinisterly cackling with glee, ominously whispering empty promises.** Hidden eyes watched in sorrow, crying out against the wickedness.

 **Evil intentions of a self-imposed god. A murdered. A thief.** Internal pleas of a Mother. A saviour abandoned. Forgotten. Powerless.

 **Kill them, they snarled.** Help them, they cried.

 **Hate them.** Love them.

 **Subjugate them.** Guide them.

 **My beloved servant.** My beloved child.

 **Loki.** Hadrian.

 **I** t i **s** **t** im **e.**

 **N** o **w**.

* * *

A sharp crack echoed throughout the deserted hallway as emerald eyes blinked in their new environment. Peering carefully at his surroundings, Hadrian allowed his eyes to shut. With a slight furrow of his brow, the only sign of his concentration, his magic tentatively stretched out from his body and into the hallway unseen and unheard in an attempt to reveal that in which his eyes could not. Drowning out the alarms, the thrum of his magic, in which only he could hear, like a heartbeat in his ears. Soothing him. Relaxing him. Helping him... _There._

Emerald eyes snapped open as raven hair fluttered from an imaginary wind. Confident strides of long, lean legs brought Hadrian closer to his fate. _Almost there._ Booted feet softly thumped and his heart raced as Mother Magic directed him. He was the conduit of her will. Reaching his hand out and clasping, his precious holly wand appearing, the wizard was prepared. Pausing before an open door, he took in a deep, shaky breath. _Save him._ Smiling sadly, he pushed himself through the gap and into the destroyed detention centre opposite to where the glass shell that had formerly caged the trickster god had sat. The very glass cell that was currently imprisoning the wrong god inside. Frowning softly, Hadrian glanced at the back of the magic user as he watched his brother hit at the glass. Grinning mercilessly, the god laughed from his position at the control panel.

"The humans think us immortal, should we test that?" Hands hovering over the control panel as he threatened his brother, he was startled out of his glee with the sound of a body hitting the floor and the whirring of a weapon.

"Move away, please." Looking up, the Trickster sneered at the agent as he moved away from the control panel. "You like this? We started working on the prototype when you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

Whirring, the weapon recharged and as the agent raised it again towards the god menacingly, the sound of fabric ripping and a squelch sounded as metal met flesh. The soft bang as a body tumbled back onto their backside and a loud clatter as the gun skidded across the floor echoed loudly in the shocked silence. A pained grunt and a shocked gasp spilled from separate pairs of lips.

"Y-you... Why?" Drawing back Loki stared in horror at the other man as red rivulets trailed down his sceptre and met his clenched fingers that grasped it. Stepping backwards and with a gentle pull of his sceptre, the metal was dislodged from the other. Hissing in pain, the man clamped at his shoulder where he had been pierced and dropped to a knee beside the stunned agent. Waving his other non-bloodied hand above the wound, Hadrian managed to stop the flow of blood that soaked his shirt temporarily. Shakily pushing himself to a standing position, the wizard's gaze met the other. "Why do you protect them so?"

Opening his mouth to answer yet words escaped him. _Not yet._ The stern words echoed through his being, chiding him. Smiling sadly, Hadrian softly shook his head in reply. Turning towards the agent, he showed his back to Loki and knelt gracefully, careful of his injured shoulder. Leaning gently towards the other, the wizard traced his hand along his wand and waved it toward Agent Coulson. With a white flash and a muffled crackle, the agent disappeared. Gingerly pushing himself to his feet again, Hadrian once again turned to face the god. White light started to form unwillingly around the wizard. _It seems it is not yet time for my role in this puppet war,_ he silently mused. _It is not yet time to save you. I promise I will be back._ "Because I must. Because this is what She has willed." And with that Mother Magic whisked him away.

Loki watched the wizard disappear with no expression. Silently, he stood and stared at his bloodstained hand grasping the sceptre. The red drops mesmerising as they hardened and flaked. Laughing, he flung his head backwards. Blue eyes flickered and then glowed more intensely. No longer concerned by the sudden action and appearance of the other magic user, he walked over to the control panel and pressed. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Sneering down at the falling cage, he watched as his own brother fell to the Earth. _"Brother."_

* * *

 **Hey everyone, thank you all for the continued support and interest in this story. I apologise for the long wait, hopefully this chapter makes up for some of it.**

 **Some of the earlier dialogue in this chapter is taken directly from the script with a few differences here and there to suit the storyline so I apologise if it sounds repetitive and boring.**

 **Next chapter should start to explain everything a lot clearer, this story is deliberately fractured and all over the place to reflect the mental instability of Loki. Harry's disappearance act this chapter is also explained in the next chapter or so.**

 **Thank you for reading the story so far!**


	14. Author's Announcement

**So after a lot of consideration I've decided to rewrite this story under the title of 'The Last Wizard'. I'm sorry for abandoning the story as is but I've found it hard to continue. T** **he story was paused temporarily as I was torn about the first half, it didn't come out as what I had initially intended and so I didn't know how to continue. So I've decided to start fresh.**

 **It will be a similar plot but written a lot differently with a lot longer chapters. Some of the chapters will remain similar to these chapters. So if anyone is interested in this story, please check out my new Harry Potter/Avengers crossover on my profile.**

 **Thank you for all the support until now, I never expected that this would get so popular. I sincerely apologise for the disappointment to those who have followed and supported this story. I just wasn't happy with the turn the story had taken from the initial plot bunny that I had. Eventually it would've just been abandoned so at least this way I can rewrite it where I can eventually feel happy about it.**

 **~ EmpatheticIgnorance**


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